ROCKFORD — Rockford School District leaders are one meeting away from a vote on one of the biggest investments and biggest changes in the district’s history.

School Board members got an overview of the recommended capital plan Tuesday. The board is expected to vote on the recommendation Aug. 12.

The $250 million plan involves closing eight schools and building two, reducing the elementary and early-childhood footprint from 35 schools to 29. It includes renovations and additions at the remaining buildings, some of which already have taken place.

The community is invited to a final presentation of the plan at 6 p.m. July 22 at the Rockford School District’s administrative offices, 501 Seventh St.

Here’s some need-to-know information about the plan:

What schools are targeted for closure: Walker, Dennis, King, Kishwaukee, Nelson, Thompson, Cherry Valley and White Swan. West View was part of an original plan but has been removed from the list. Instead, it would get an addition.

Where would the schools be built: One in the area of Kishwaukee and Nelson schools, the other in the area of Cherry Valley, White Swan and Thompson.

Other changes: Beyer will become an early-childhood center, along with Nashold. Riverdahl will become a K-5 school. Renaissance Gifted for first- through fifth-grades would move from Washington to the home of the Maria Montessori program, 4704 N. Rockton Ave., creating a gifted campus on the far northwest side with Thurgood Marshall School, 4664 N. Rockton Ave., home of the gifted middle school. The Montessori program would move to Marsh Elementary. Washington will be an elementary school. Prekindergarten no longer will be offered at elementary schools. All prekindergarten classes will be at one of four early-childhood centers. The only exceptions will be the Haskell Year-Round Academy and Maria Montessori, where special programs still will be offered on site.

Who came up with this plan: The Facilities Task Force Steering Committee, made up of district leaders and community members, spent the past year assessing building conditions, educational needs and operational costs as it developed three options for improving the way the district offers elementary and early-childhood education. The task force unveiled its three options in May. After 40 neighborhood meetings, the committee spent two months poring over the feedback and weighing it against the district’s data.

Why are they doing this: The district is adopting a 10-year, $250 million facilities plan, which entails demolishing underutilized and older schools, and making renovations or additions to others. According to the district’s plan, fewer elementary schools would mean more resources dedicated to each school. Schools would contain more students, but class sizes and the number of teachers and classroom support staff would remain the same. Elementary and early-childhood schools have 191 to 720 students; under the new plan, they would have 377 to 667 students.

Page 2 of 2 - Where will the money come from: Most is from a $139 million bond issue approved by voters in 2012. About $50 million is coming from cash reserves.

When would changes take place: The plan would be phased in starting with the 2015-16 school year. A referendum will be on the November ballot asking residents for permission to spend some of the money approved in 2012 on building one or more schools rather than spending all of the money on existing buildings.